New England Patriots links 4/25/17 - Patriots pre-draft roster 'obscenely' loaded on offense

TEAM TALK

• Press Release: Patriots sign restricted free agent RB Mike Gillislee.
• Erik Scalavino analyzes the acquisition of RB Mike Gillislee, after the Buffalo Bills declined to match New England’s offer.
• John Rooke's Nitpicks and Nitwits: The NFL Draft - from obscure to outstanding.
• Patriots Draft Primer.
• PFW Draft Prospect Rankings: Defensive Line.
• Jeremie Smith notes Chad O’Shea threw the first pitch in Foxborough for the Baseball & Softball Association, as the guest of honor.
• 2016 Highlights: Mike Gillislee. (5.11 min. video)
• 3 Games To Glory 5: Predicting Dion's big game. (1.24 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Mike Reiss resets the roster on offense ahead of the draft, and finds that it's already loaded.
• Jeff Howe says the Patriots’ high-octane offseason has been strikingly similar to their preparations for the 2007 season.
• Ryan Hannable talks about how the Patriots are quietly piecing together perhaps the best backfield in the Belichick-Brady era.
• Zack Cox offers some quick thoughts on the Gillislee signing: The Patriots' offense is obscenely deep.
• Mark Daniels is interested to see where Gillislee fits into the Patriots depth chart.
• Mike Reiss includes the signing of Mike Gillislee in the Patriots' continuing this year's theme of 'known value' over 'not being sure.'
• Karen Guregian focuses on the risk-reward of building through free agency vs. the draft for the Patriots this season.
• Mark Farinella sees the addition of Mike Gillislee as the end for LeGarrette Blount in New England.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Here are the draft picks the Patriots still have in 2017.
• Mark Farinella shares some pre-draft Patriots thoughts on a potential Malcolm Butler deal, what the Patriots are looking for, and more.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Rule No. 1 of Belichick's war room: Don't talk about what round it is.
• Jeff Howe points out that the Patriots have to consider their long-term plan at offensive tackle this week, but the draft class is horrendous.
• Karen Guregian lists offensive tackle as No. 3 on the team's list of draft needs, and offers some players who might fit with the Patriots.
• Mike Reiss points out the Patriots gained $4.75M in cap space with Danny Amendola's pay cut (for the third straight year).
• Miguel Benzan (PatsFans) Patscap breaks down Danny Amendola’s 2017 $4.75M paycut.
• Karen Guregian profiles Bucknell OT Julie'n Davenport.
• Adam Bogdan (NEPatriotsLife) Modified Mock Draft Preview.
• Ryan Hannable notes Brady and Gronk are among several current and former Patriots planning on attending the Kentucky Derby.
• Ian Logue (PatsFans) Tuesday Patriots news and notes [4/25]. Logue gives his take on the bizarre rant Bart Hubbuch writes on Robert Kraft being in violation of the NFL's policy surrounding gambling.
• Daren Hartwell passes along the rumor that LeGarrette Blount and the Giants have 'mutual interest' in a deal.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Andrew Brandt (The MMQB) Have we seen the NFL’s last restricted free agent? Patriots saw a market inefficiency and swiped RB Mike Gillislee from the Bills . . . plus a look a draft preparations.
• Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) Saints get Adrian Peterson, but Patriots make much smarter RB move.
• Ryan Talbot (NewYorkUpstate) 4 reasons why the Buffalo Bills decided to decline Mike Gillislee's offer sheet.
• Matthew Fairburn (NewYorkUpstate) Buffalo Bills decline offer sheet on RB Mike Gillislee; RB is now a Patriot. "As if playing against Tom Brady and the Patriots twice a year wasn't hard enough for Bills fans to stomach...".
• Vic Carucci (Buffalo News) Bills don't match offer sheet, lose Gillislee to Patriots.
• Jon Benne (SB Nation) Why is the NFL draft 3 days long?
• Jim Weber (Awful Announcing) Your 2017 NFL Draft drinking game.
• Rhett Jones (Deadspin) NFL players strike a deal to sell their biometric data.

DUMPSTER DIVE

• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Time of testing a factor in assessing credibility of diluted sample excuse.
• Bart Hubbuch (Deadspin) This is the story about Robert Kraft's casino holdings that Rupert Murdoch's paper never ran. //3000+ word rant. 20 Paragraphs down: "League spokesperson Brian McCarthy told me then that the NFL didn’t consider Kraft’s Apollo stake a violation of the casino ban..." Let's just say, Hubbuch disagrees.